The present invention relates to a contacting unit for card-shaped support elements with electronic components. The contacting unit comprises a base plate with a size suitable for a plane-parallel receiving slot for a card-shaped support element, at least one printed circuit board, which is substantially parallel to the base plate and has at its surface contacting elements for the electronic components of the support element. One edge of the base plate has connected thereto an array of contacts.
Especially in the field of computer technology electronic components are preferably arranged on card-shaped support elements. Such support elements have contacting areas and are insertable into contacting units where they are electrically contacted and integrated into the data circuit. Card-shaped support elements according to the so-called PCMCIA standard are known. These support elements are cards that have a standardized matrix contacting area and can receive various IC circuits. Such cards may be memory expansion cards, disc drive cards, modem cards etc. They can be contacted in a contacting unit with a corresponding pin matrix when inserted into the insertion slot of the computer. So-called chip card are known which are, for example, used as telephone cards and for similar applications. They are provided with a really positioned contacting areas for contacting a chip and are also to be inserted into contacting units that are especially embodied as reading units. In the recent past a combination of card systems has been used whereby, for example, simultaneously a PCMCIA card and a chip card are inserted into corresponding contacting unit.
With respect to the combination of card systems it is known from European Application 0 552 078 A1 to provide a PCMCIA card with a recess for a chip card. The recess is positioned remote from the contacting area. At the exposed surface of the recess a field of contacting elements for the electronic components of the chip card is arranged. This development requires the invention of both cards on top one another through the insertion slot, for example, of a computer in the area of the contacting area or to exchange the chip card while the PCMCIA card remains inserted. In this context it is disadvantageous that the contacting area is exposed, that the chip card is only minimally guided and furthermore movable even in the operating position relative to the PCMCIA card so that a secure contacting is not ensured.
The German Offenlegungsschrift 43 10 513 suggests to enlarge at a PCMCIA card (known from European Patent Application 0 552 078 A1) the area opposite the contacting area, which in the operating position of the PCMCIA card by definition must project from the housing, such that a guide slot for a chip card is formed. This suggestion however deviates from the standardized design of PCMCIA cards and cannot prevent the chip card from being pivoted out of the guide plane. Insofar as inner guide plates are suggested, the chip card upon insertion abuts at the plate elements. A secure operation with respect to multiple actuations of vending machines etc. can thus not be ensured with the known devices.
Other suggestions are known according to which the housing of the PCMCIA card is at least of a two-part construction in order to embody with a responding sizing of the individual parts a guide channel or guide channels. This design can only be manufactured with great monetary expenditure and is not suitable for inexpensive mass production in regard to a wide-spread use of known card systems.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a contacting unit of the aforementioned kind that can be manufactured with minimal expenditure and can be handled in a simple and reliable manner whereby for a correct usage a safe contacting with a card-shaped support element is ensured.